Sabriel and Touchstone
by LadyChanta
Summary: Ever wonder what happened in the years between Sabriel and Lirael? Let's find out shall we?
1. Chapter 1

~*~*~*~AN~*~*~*~ DO NOT REVIEW ON THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS! I KNOW I HAVE SPELLING ERRORS! AND I DON'T CARE! I'M TOO FRISBEE LAZY TO FIX ANY OF THEM OK! GOOD FOR YOU! YOU KNOW HOW TO READ AND SPELL! WELL DONE! BUT THE ERRORS ARE NOT GOING TO FIX THEMSELVES BY YOU TELLING ME THAT I CAN'T SPELL. SO STOP REVIEWING JUST TO TELL ME THAT I CAN'T SPELL. I KNOW THIS YOU KNOW THIS AND I DON'T CARE!  
  
Hey this first paragraph is taken directly from the Sabriel book by Garth Nix so don't sue me. I'm giving Nix and what ever inspiration that help write this book the respect and stuff they need. The paragraphs following be my own creation. DISCLAIMER! I don't own Garth Nix or Sabriel. But the ideas for this fanfic be mine and mine only. (though if it weren't for Nix I wouldn't have this fan fic so thankx Nixxy ^.~ ) ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Touchstone had finally noticed. Sabriel turned her gaze back to him, and lifted her head cautiously. He had removed her sword, she saw, and several of her school friends had cast a healing spell, good enough for the moment. Typically, Touchstone had done nothing for his own leg. "Sabriel," he said again. "You're alive?" "Yes," said Sabriel, with some surprise. "I am!" Touchstone's hand caressed Sabriel's pale, blood crusted face. Pain clouded her mind, making her vission hazy. Darkness started to encircle her vission. Sleep finally took over Sabriel's fatigued body ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Bright lights and a blurry face swam in to view. Sabriel blinked a few times, her vision cleared. Touchstone's concerned face came in to focus. He smiled at her when he saw that she was awake. "Good morning, love." He looked at her with admiration and love. "How do you feel?" Sabriel smiled, "Stiff, how is your leg?" "They had put this rock-like boot on it. But it is not of any rock I know of and it is free and charter magic free." Touchstone frowned. Sabriel looked down at his leg and her smile widened. 'A cast' Sabriel considered a quick healing spell, but the marks were fuzzy and her body wasn't capable of magic at that point. "How far are we from the wall?" "We are in Wyverly Hospital. "Oh, alright." Sabriel snuggled in to her pillows and started to doze again but Touchstone's curiosity got the better of him. "Sabriel?" "Hmmm?" "Why is that box making that noise?" Sabriel looked over to where he was pointing and smiled to her self. "It's called a heart monitor. It makes that noise every time my heart beats. So, if I die the monitor makes a long beep. That is how the doctor knows if I'm dead or not." Touchstone nodded but continued to look confused. Sabriel started to nod off again but some one knocked at the door. Silently she groaned to her self. "Yes?" She asked annoyed that she kept getting interrupted when she tried to sleep. Slowly the door opened, and standing there was one of Sabriel's school friends. "Maggie!" "Hey Sabriel. How do you feel?" "Sore and stiff, other than that I'm fine." Both girls smiled. "Well, I suppose it could be worse." They both nodded and again smiled; slowly they began to giggle. Touchstone sat where he was completely lost. "I brought you some thing. I think they're yours." "They? There is more than one. Oh, Maggie they don't allow swords on hospital premises and I don't think they'd like it if you brought me my bel- " Sabriel looked over to where Touchstone sat and he was holding her bells. "Oh, never mind" "Your sword is at the school...or what's left of it." A sad shadow crossed her face. Sabriel understood they had both lost life-long friends the other night. But just as quickly as the shadow came, it left. "I brought your cats." "Cats? I only have one." Maggie shook her head "No, we found two. A white one and a black one, they both have red collars on with charter marks flowing through them. Oh and each had a cute little bell, but it makes ya sleepy if it rings. The cats seem to only sleep, it's like they don't wake up for any thing." "Well, the white one is Moggot. He's mine, but the black one I don't know who it is." Maggie walked over to the bed and set the kitty-carriers down on to the bed. One of the kitty-carriers had a white kitty and the other had a black cat. "Moggot...Moggot wake up you lazy bag of lard." The white cat opened his eyes sleepily and yawned. "Yes, Abhorson?" Maggie's jaw had dropped and almost hit the floor. "Sabriel. Moggot call me Sabriel. I don't feel up to being any one I'm not." "Still in denial, Abhorson?" "Moggot I'm warning you. SHUT UP!" "Moggot, I think it might be wise to listen to her." Touchstone put in hesitantly. "Thank you Touchstone." Sabriel sighed. Moggot stuck out his pick tongue and shut up. "Th-th-that cat spoke?!" "Yeah, it's getting the damn thing to shut up is the trick." Maggie just stared. "Take what you would call a picture I hear they last longer." "Moggot!" Sabriel yelled at the cat, "be nice. I'll leave you here under the care of the ally cats." Maggie had quickly looked away. "Don't mind him Maggie he's just cranky" "I can see that." Moggot got up and curled around Sabriel's shoulders, sneezed, and fell asleep. "I'm glad that I had put them under Rana instead of one of the other bells. At least now he'll sleep and we won't have to deal with Ro- the black one." Sabriel had stopped her self when she saw the look Touchstone gave her. It wasn't a menacing look but a silent plea. But after that was said the black cat woke up and hissed when he saw Sabriel. "Well, good morning to you too." "When I get this collar off I'm going to get you back mistress and sir." The cat's fur was standing on end. In a flash Moggot was up and in between Sabriel and the kitty-carrier "Silence you ungrateful fool! This is your new master, be respectful or I'll have to show you have to be respectful!" Moggot hissed his fur was also up on end. "I will, so help me the charter it self, rip you shred to shred for the disrespect you just showed to the Abhorson and her swordsman!" Moggot's back was arched as he hissed. Sabriel cautiously put her hand on the angry white cat's back. As soon as she touched his back he un-arched his back, curled up at her side and began to purr. "Oh, this makes me sick! A slave and his master...cuddling. Excuse me as I hack up a hair ball." Again in a flash Moggot was up, but this time he tried to scratch at the black cat. Maggie quickly grabbed the kitty-carrier and took it out side of the room. At the same time Sabriel grabbed Moggot by the scruff of his neck. He hissed in annoyance but quickly obeyed his master. "Well! I know where he's staying when we get home!" Touchstone nodded. Maggie came back in and told them that she was going back to the school and bringing the black cat with her. Touchstone and Sabriel nodded and after she turned to go out the door Sabriel curled up, careful not to move the IV tube that was in her arm, and fell asleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well what do you think? Review and I'll be very happy. I'm working on the second chapter now and it should be up soon ~LadyChanta~ 


	2. Chapter2

A week later Sabriel was back on her feet and getting ready to go back home to Abhorson's house. Touchstone had made sure that there would be two paper wings to take them home. He had sent a message to Abhorson's house and told the sendings to make two. Where he would go, after he saw Sabriel safely home, he didn't know.  
  
"Are you ready, love?" A voice interrupted his depressing thoughts. Quickly he looked up to find Sabriel's sweet, kind, pale face, looking at him with love. Her bony fingers brushed a stray lock of black hair out of her face. Uncomfortable under his stare Sabriel shifted the bandoleer that crossed her torso. "Touchstone, are you alright?" He blinked suddenly as if she had interrupted his thoughts. "Sorry, I didn't mean to break your concentration. I-"  
  
"It's alright mila- I mean Sabriel." She smiled sweetly at her companion.  
  
"Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Aaa. Yes, yes I am."  
  
"Do you know how to whistle?"  
  
"Wha- Oh, whistle. I can but I'm not very good at it."  
  
By now they were in the Old Kingdom and getting strapped in to the paperwings. Sabriel told him how to learn the charter marks to get the paperwing to work. Before they knew it they were off headed home. The wind felt really good on Sabriel's face. She felt like laughing, she didn't though. She needed to concentrate at the task at hand. Getting home. By nightfall they were sailing in sight of Abhorson's house. Sabriel suddenly felt sad. He father used to live there, now he's dead. Some one's words came floating in to her memory. "Every one had a time and a place to die. This is not you time" Tears threatened to leave her eyes. Stubbornly she brushed them away and landed her paperwing.  
  
Sendings were there to greet them. Both Sabriel and Touchstone were extremely tired. The sendings helped them out of the paperwings. Once out, two sendings rushed them off to bathe a get ready for dinner. With in a few minutes Sabriel was in her old room. She was so tired that she didn't care that she was being stripped and hustled in to the bathtub. Soon Sabriel was being scrubbed very hard. She didn't fight it like she had before. Half and hour later she was clean, dressed in a midnight blue dress with bell sleeves, her bell bandoleer safely across her torso, and headed down to the dining room.  
  
Moggot was at her heels, urging her to go faster so that they could eat sooner. Sabriel ignored him and walked at a comfortable pace. When she walked in to the dining room she found Touchstone staring out the west window watching the sun set. He too looked clean, he was dressed in a tunic of creamy white that laced mid chest up, his breaches were of deep forest green. Sabriel cleared her throat quietly, but it was loud enough for Touchstone to hear it, he spun around hand going to the hilt of his sword. As soon as he saw who it was, he quickly removed his hand and bowed to her and kissed her right un-gloved hand lightly.  
  
Color burst in to her cheeks. She had formal classes at school, but she never actually had any of it done to her, nor had she had the chance to use any of it. When he came out of the bow she quickly looked away. Touchstone didn't notice the color in her cheeks. He offered his arm to her. Sabriel fell in to the stuff that she had learned in her formal classes. And took his arm politely, gently he led her to the head of the table, helped her sit down, and gently pushed her chair in for her. Once she was seated he sat to the right of her.  
  
With in seconds the sendings where putting the first course on the table for them. Moggot dug in to it greedily, but Touchstone only stared at Sabriel with adoring eyes. Soon, Sabriel felt uncomfortable under his gaze and began to play with her food (Old habits die-hard). Before long they were done with the six-course meal. Touchstone was up in a flash to help Sabriel out of her chair. Moggot ran off as soon as he was done with the meal, not bothering to stay any longer than needed.  
  
Nervously Touchstone cleared his throat. "Sabriel, would you do me the honor of walking through the garden with me?" Silently she nodded. He offered his arm again to her and together they walked out at a leisurely pace. The gardens where set in the middle of the house. It was more of a courtyard than a garden. After walking for half an hour Touchstone led Sabriel to a bench near the middle. They sat in an awkward silence for a while. They both had been looking away from the other, when they suddenly looked at each other and bumped foreheads. Laughter erupted from both Touchstone and Sabriel.  
  
"Are you ok?" Sabriel asked smiling and rubbing her forehead.  
  
"Yes" Again silence fell between them as they gazed in to the other's eyes. Slowly Touchstone leaned towards Sabriel. She also began to lean closer to his sweet face. Their eyes slowly closed and their lips met. Sabriel felt sparks run up and down her spine. She had suppressed a shudder that had threatened to over take her body. Her mind raced with controlled chaos. Touchstone leaned closer and put one arm around the back of her shoulders, and the other in the arch of her back. He held her close, and gasped when he felt her arms find their way to the back of his head and the middle of his back. They sat there kissing for what felt like an eternity, an eternity filled with bliss and free falling. Slowly they pulled away and looked in to the other's eyes.  
  
Sabriel was fighting back tears of happiness, and Touchstone was fighting back a goofy grin. Suddenly Sabriel flung her arms around his neck and cried uncontrollably on to his chest. This action caught him off guard and unprepared. Instinctively he held her sobbing body against his, and cooed softly to her. Sabriel's tears flowed freely on to his soft warm tunic. His arms around her felt so comforting and loving. She could stay in his arms forever, but unfortunately she felt sharp claws in her legs. Suddenly she pulled away with a yelp of pain, and looked down Moggot sat there with his claws extended licking the blood off. Sabriel lifted her skirt to her knee and a five-inch slash was across her shin. Sabriel felt light headed and dizzy. She swayed and fell backwards. Her vision faded and swirled in front of her. Strong arms caught her falling body. She saw Touchstone's worried face fade before her. His eyes, his mouth, his cheeks faded to darkness. Soon every thing was black. 


	3. Chapter 3

~~~AN~~~~ Hi every one! Sorry it took me so long to work on this and get it up. I lost chapter three. I had it halfway done and it disappeared. I'm home sick from school today and I thought that it would be a good thing if I worked on it. I'm glad you all like my fic ^.^ And thank you for reviewing. Again I'm sorry for taking so long. If you have any advice or questions put them in the review and I'll try hard to answer all your questions. Thankx bunches Loves LaDy ChAnTa  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ The kiss left Touchstone dazed. Sabriel's lips were soft as rose petals. When they pulled away, he could see tears glisten in her beautiful eyes. Touchstone tried with all his might not to show the goofy grin that threatened to take over his lips.  
  
Suddenly Sabriel flung her self in to his arms and began to cry uncontrollably. He was stunned at her sudden change of emotion. She mumbled something about missing daddy. Touchstone whispered that he loved her and that he was here for her. He held her sobbing figure to his chest and said comforting words.  
  
As fast as she had begun to cry she stopped with a yelp of pain and pulled away. She lifted her skirts up to her knee. Touchstone looked away and blushed. He was not used to seeing so much of Sabriel's legs. He felt her body sway next to him and fall backwards. Quickly he caught her. Concern sketched his face. Her eyes slowly went unfocused and rolled back.  
  
Moggot had jumped up on to the bench. Touchstone glared at the little white cat. "What did you do that for?"  
  
"She was crying and I took her mind off of it." He replied matter-of- factly.  
  
"You know Moggot there is nothing wrong with her crying. I'm sure she had her reasons!"  
  
"I can't stand it when she cries. It makes me want to hack up a hairball." Touchstone rolled his eyes and picked Sabriel's limp body up and walked back to the house. While he did this he mumbled something like little obnoxious cat (Suzan I did that for you C. bebop). He ran across some sendings on his way up to her room. Quickly he ordered them to get a bowl of warm water and clean linen. They nodded their hooded heads and walked off quickly to get what he wanted.  
  
Soon he was in her room, he set her body down on her bed. Sabriel stirred a little when the heat of Touchstone's body left her. He respectfully lifted her skirts up to her knee. Trying hard not to blush at seeing so much of her pale skin. The sendings came in with what he had ordered and set it down on the bedside table.  
  
Touchstone took a strip of linen and got it wet in the warm water. Her gash had clotted for the most part. He carefully washed the dried blood away from around the wound. He made sure that the cut was clean before he wrapped her leg in clean linen. As soon as he was done binding her leg she woke up. Carefully he helped her sit up on her bed.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Moggot sliced your leg open."  
  
"Oh." She remembered what had happened before she fainted. Tears again sprang to her eyes and streamed down her pale skin. Touchstone was sitting on the side of the bed, he embraced her as she started to cry again. "I miss him so much." She whispered in to his chest.  
  
"I know you do, love. But I'm sure he wouldn't want his little girl crying for the sake of him. I bet he wants you to be happy, to go on with your life, to live life to the fullest never looking back or down." While he was saying these sweet words Moggot had jumped up on to the bed and had his claws extended ready to strike at Sabriel's other leg. Touchstone flicked water at the cat, thus making it jump back fur on end hissing.  
  
Slowly Sabriel stopped crying and pulled herself together. Touchstone cupped her face in his strong hands and with his thumbs he brushed away some stray tears. She smiled then looked down at her bare legs. She didn't mind her legs showing, but then remembered that Touchstone came from a time when most any skin would make a grown man blush. She quickly put her skirt down to cover her legs, looked back up to him and smiled.  
  
Suddenly she was uncomfortable under his gaze and quickly said. "I um have some work to do and I um need to concentrate hard on it, and the best way for me to do that is alone in the observatory." He nodded and smiled at her. Quietly he said more to himself than to her  
  
"Charter bless me you're beautiful." Sabriel chose to act as if she hadn't heard. She cleared her throat and nodded to the door.  
  
"I would also like to change in to something I feel more comfortable in." He stared at her blankly then suddenly realized that she was asking him to leave to room.  
  
"Oh!" With that he got up and walked to the door. He closed it quietly behind himself. Sabriel sat alone in her room. The only company was Moggot. She looked at him then looked down at her lap.  
  
"You just HAD to scratch me didn't you?"  
  
"You were crying and I took your mind off of it." She glared at him menacingly.  
  
"I was crying because its hard for me to be in the house where my late father had lived so close to his death! If it were a year from now it wouldn't be so hard! Why can't you let me grieve the death my dad?"  
  
Moggot tilted his head. "Abhorson, cats and humans grieve differently. I hadn't realized his death would affect you so. I mean you will die some day too, along with Touchstone and what ever heirs you have. You should know that. If you know you're going to die and that others will die as well, why get emotional? I see it as completely pointless."  
  
"You would! Moggot out." He just stared at her. "OUT!" She screamed and pointed to the door. He jumped at her sudden volume change.  
  
"Yes, Abhorson. As you wish Abhorson." He emphasized the word 'Abhorson'. As the small cat walked to the door, Sabriel glared then turned away quickly.  
  
"Don't let the door hit you on the butt on the way out." She turned as she said this but he was gone. Quickly she walked over to the door and quietly opened it a crack to make sure the white cat was truly out of the room. She saw his little rear end walking down the corridor with his tail in the air. She shut the door and sank to the floor. Her head in her hands she tried to calm her self.  
  
With in moments she was somewhat calm and was walking over to her wardrobe. When Sabriel opened it she found that it had been filled with new dresses. She pulled the one she was wearing off and standing in her underclothes she looked through the others. She found a forest green dress. This one had sleeves that were semi tight on her pale wrists. It had a medium "V" cut neck and went down to the floor. It was very warm but not to warm. Once in the dress Sabriel quickly tip-toed to the bed and got her house slippers out.  
  
'Warm wool. Mmmmm!' Sabriel thought to herself. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sabriel made her way to the observatory quietly. She wanted to be by her self for a little while. She had to clear her head and get her self together. She loved the company of Touchstone but with him around it was hard for her to think and sort things right in her head. When she got there she found a fire blazing nicely in the hearth.  
  
She got some parchment and ink out before she sat down at the dragon desk. She planned to write down her thoughts on the situation at hand, mostly how to cope with her father's death and where to go from now. She sat down and just started to write. Soon her random words became sentences, and sentences became paragraphs. Those paragraphs soon became pages full on both sides. He fingers were splattered with ink. All of a sudden she hit a writer's block and just sat back in her chair and heaved a great sigh.  
  
"Who am I?" she asked out loud.  
  
"You are the Abhorson, Sabriel. The heir of your father." A small voice said some where under the table. Mogget jumped up on to the table and sulked over to her, and sat just inches away from her small pile of papers. Sabriel looked at him wondering about every thing and nothing all at the same time.  
  
Mogget's green eyes were focused unblinkingly on Sabriel's face. "You are the mistress of this house, and the only one to keep the dead, well, dead." He stated plainly and calmly. "We need you, here, in the Old Kingdom. Touchstone needs you, and the living depends on you. A big task I know but you are the only one to fill those boots. You'll get used to the weight of the load soon enough." Mogget's voice was half purr half his normal voice. His words were oddly comforting to Sabriel's troubled mind.  
  
"Thank you Mogget. Where is Touchstone? Do you know?"  
  
"He's down in his room by the fire thinking. He looks miserable."  
  
"Do you think he would join me up here?"  
  
"I don't know. I'll go find out." And with that he was gone out the door. Sabriel felt strangely lonesome and in need of some affection. About two minutes later a knock was heard at the door. Absent mindedly she told them to come in. The door opened and Touchstone walked in.  
  
"You called for me, Sabriel?" She nodded.  
  
"I just needed some company. Would you sit with me by the fire?"  
  
"I would be honored." With this he came and sat down on the carpet in front of the fireplace, where a fire blazed. Sabriel got up and joined him. With out thinking she leaned on his shoulder. A smile graced his lips, he was afraid that he had made her uncomfortable earlier that day when he mended her leg. Together they stared in to the flames, both longing to cuddle with the other, but feared to do so for it might seem to forward.  
  
About half an hour later Sabriel moved closer to him, claiming that she was cold. (Yeah right) Touchstone put his arm around her slender figure and drew her closer to him. She looked up at him and caught his lips with hers. He deepened the kiss and let his hand wonder over her back. Gently he leaned in, and Sabriel was soon lying down on the thick rug.  
  
For a second Touchstone broke the kiss to look in to her eyes and smile. He kissed her again, her hands were working their way in to his tunic. With some tugging her hands were over his firm chest. She broke the kiss and got his shirt off. He threw it off and out of the way. Sabriel admired his firm, muscular chest. His hand was soon tracing up her inner thigh. She gasped when his semi warm hand found her under garment. She nodded to him, and his hand pushed the cloth aside. His fingers found their way to her bush.  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." A voice said not far from Sabriel's ear, "but I just thought I'd let you both know that I'm going to spend the rest of the night in front of a fireplace." Sabriel looked at him in exasperation.  
  
'Great just what I needed! He ruined the whole moment. Stupid cat' she thought bitterly to her self. Touchstone slowly drew away and put his tunic back on. 'NO! Touchstone! Ugh! Damn! We almost.he almost.we were so close!' Mogget looked at her curiously, and if cats could smirk he would be. Sabriel sat up on her elbow and glared daggers at the small white cat her skirt half way to her knees. "Thank you for letting us know Mogget. That way if we need you we can be sure to check the oh.twenty or so fireplaces in the house!" The cat shrugged and slinked off.  
  
"I should um.get ready for bed." Disappointment flooded Sabriel's eyes.  
  
"But.but. ok fine. I should go to bed too." An awkward silence filled the room. Touchstone shifted uncomfortably under Sabriel's stare. Suddenly Sabriel realized that she was staring and quickly looked away as a blush invaded her face. Touchstone took this moment to offer his hand to help her up. He cleared his throat to get her attention.  
  
"Would you like a hand up, mila-Sabriel?" She nodded and grabbed his hand. Gently he pulled her up. She was careful not to put to much weight on her bad leg. When he started to walk away she hobbled slowly behind him. If Sabriel learned anything from the PE classes at Wyverly it was to fake a limp. Touchstone looked back to find Sabriel struggling to walk. With out saying anything he came back to her and swooped her up in to his strong arms.  
  
A smile twinged at the corners of her mouth. 'Score!' She thought in triumph. If she couldn't finish the moment they had started to share then she might as well take advantage of her gimpy state. Touchstone was so warm and his scent was so comforting. She could stay in his arms forever. Similar thoughts filled Touchstone's mind. He brought her to her room and left her there. Leaving her to the care of her chamber's sendings.  
  
~*~*~*~ FWAH HA HA! The chap is now over!! Are you happy? I bet not, because you'll want me to write the next chapter for you. All the work I do you u and you're STILL not happy.oh well. I bet u thought this chappy was going to be a lemon! In next chaps it might not be a lemon lemon but as lemony as its going to get. ^.~ Ja Ne Lady C. 


	5. Chapter 5

When Touchstone was out of ear shot Sabriel stomped over to her bed and screamed in to her pillow. And then she felt a wet nose on her right cheek. Sabriel looked over to her right and glared daggers at the white cat sitting there. And to her annoyance he looked quite pleased with him self. "Don't look so damn please with your self cat! Not unless you don't mind having my boot up your as-"  
  
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Sabriel rotated around only to find a sending standing there with her nightshirt, obviously waiting for her to get ready for bed. Violently she stripped down to her under clothes and grabbed her nightshirt and shoved it on and over her head. When in her p.j.'s she sat down on her bed, careful not to disturb her injured leg. The sending who had held her nightshirt was now undoing her bandage.  
  
When the cloth came off of her gash the scab came with it. She flinched and looked away as it started to bleed again. She didn't like seeing so much blood coming from her when it wasn't that time of month. The sending very carefully washed it and then re-bandaged it. Sabriel leaned back on to her pillows and heaved a huge sigh. So many things were happening all at once. She knew that she would be allowed no time to cope with the death of her father. And obviously Mogget wasn't going to let her either. At Wayverly College she read something about bottling up emotions was bad for one's self.  
  
With nothing else to do Sabriel bent over her bed's edge and got her journal. If she wasn't allowed to show her hurt, then she would write it down, draw it out, whatever it took to make it less painful. And so with this she began writing. At first there were no sentences or paragraphs, but words describing the pain.  
  
"Hurting loneliness an empty void. Tears exhaustion no where to go no one to go to. I am left to grieve by myself. I stand-alone in this world. It is only I now. No where to grieve. The hurt is unbelievable! The loneliness is overwhelming. I feel as if I am the only human with emotions left in this wrecked kingdom. I feel as un-ruled as this anarchy kingdom. But maybe that will all change. When Touchstone is restored to the throne, maybe then I will find happiness and maybe then the hurt won't be as strong. Maybe Touchstone will find me someone. Someone to be my "other" Or maybe, just maybe Touchstone might choose me to be his queen. It's late and I should get some sleep. Love much, Sabriel" With this done, Sabriel put her book back under the bed. "Maybe Tomorrow will be better. There is always tomorrow." Sabriel thought this to her self. As she curled up in to her bed. Once comfortable, she wove her fingers in the marks for night, dark, and sleep. Before she was done with the spell the charter lights were extinguished and she was drifting in to a deep sleep.  
  
Touchstone walked down to his room and threw himself on to his bed. A heavy sigh escaped from his lips. "If only that damn cat hadn't interrupted us!" Touchstone seethed, but stopped him self as he realized what he was saying. "Wait! I'm a man of honor, the heir to the throne! And I was just about to take a woman before marriage! What kind of savage am I? Even before I'm crowned! I have more dignity than that! I should behave like a gentleman. Not like some lustful idiot!" He scolded himself for another hour. He only stopped because he heard some thing enter his room. Quicker than lightening he had both of his short swords in his hand and was in a fighting stance.  
  
The little white cat looked at him with shock/ amusement. "Oh, it's only you."  
  
"What do you mean by 'only you'? Who else would it be? Keggior?"  
  
"Do not even dare to speak that name in mine or my ladies presence again!" Touchstone suddenly boomed.  
  
"Your lady? Tell me, pray thee, who is this lady of yours? A common bar maid? A whore you found on a corner? Or do you mean the Abhorson?" Mogget said this as he started to wash himself. The questions came out in- between flashes of his pink tongue.  
  
"How DARE you categorize Sabriel in the same category as a bar maid and a whore! Sabriel is a lady! A very honorable lady at that! She deserves the best! And I plan to give it to her!"  
  
"And how do you know she feels the same way for you?" Mogget spat. At this Touchstone was lost for words, he sat slowly on his bed, with a look of hurt on his face. What if Sabriel had her eye's set for another man? Or worse yet, what if she just wasn't interested in a man at all? He wasn't used to the complexity of courtship in this modern day and age. It was so different from two hundred years ago. Then all he would have done and asked the girl's father if he could court her, but now Touchstone had a feeling it didn't quite work like that any more. Plus Sabriel's father is dead, how was he to ask to court her? While Touchstone pondered this, Mogget jumped up on to the bed and sat staring at him with his piercing green eyes.  
  
"Might I give a suggestion?" Touchstone just looked at him, "I would propose you ask her your self if you can court her. Though a word of caution her life is from this point forth going to be on the road and very busy, keeping the dead. well, dead and all. You also have a thrown to claim. Plus not to mention all the charter stones you two will have to fix. Letting the kingdom know that they now have a king is going to be a task as well. Also you will have to gather a court, and all the other necessities of re-building a kingdom." By now Touchstone's head was spinning.  
  
"Mogget please, one thing at a time. I can't think of all of these things all at once."  
  
"As you wish it. But these things, as you put it, won't go away by them selves. They do need to be dealt with, but I can understand that you and the Abhorson are very overwhelmed." With this the white cat curled himself up at the foot of the bed and went to sleep. Touchstone just stared unblinkingly at the cat as he had lobsters crawling out of his nose. Was he doing this to throw Touchstone in to an anxiety attack or was he really thinking of others for once. (Don't come whining to me about how Mogget is not that annoying and a pain in the butt. Read Abhorson and you'll know what I mean.) This puzzled the future king.  
  
"Mogget?"  
  
"Hmm?" He opened one green eye and looked at Touchstone.  
  
"Oh, never mind it's not important." Mogget shrugged and went back to sleep. Touchstone also wrote in his journal. So many things must get done. And I lack the strength to do it. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to think clearly. And eventually I'll ask Sabriel to court me. Sabriel. Hmm she is so wonderful. I do believe I'm falling in love. Well, it is getting late and I really should get to sleep. I will need my strength tomorrow.  
  
With this he put the book down, snuggled in to his soft bed and wove the charter marks for dark and sleep. And soon was doing the latter of the two. 


End file.
